n.
Pronunciation: ' des-p ə t, - ˌ pät
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French despote, from Greek despot ē s master, lord, autocrat, from des- (akin to domos house) + -pot ē s (akin to posis husband); akin to Sanskrit dampati lord of the house ― more at DOME , POTENT
Date: 1585
1 a : a Byzantine emperor or prince b : a bishop or patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church c : an Italian hereditary prince or military leader during the Renaissance
2 a : a ruler with absolute power and authority b : a person exercising power tyrannically